The Washington critic., 1887-05-21
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares. Statues, Gardens and
Other Points of Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

Washington has already become the
most attractive city of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation II presents
more objects Of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and a
brief directory of Its prominent points
will be OF service to the vast number Of
persons who annually resort to the po-
litical metropolis. For 1t is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city TO behold the varied objects of in.
terest which 30 thickly stud the his
toric "Ten Miles Square,"
The system Of Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
adopted In Philadelphia, is uscd-one hun.
drcd numbers being allotted to each square
or rblock-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north, and A
street south, running south The odd mum.
bers are always on tho Iight.hand sido 60
Ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the icft-hnnd side. The city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest, southeast and southwest, tho
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically, and
Of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on o line due north aud south from the Cap,
itol and East Capitol street, and n contlnua.
ton on the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west
The Capitol.
This great building Is the central point OF the
original District, and Is the largest ediiice
raaS Fl aS @, IL senTS the S5ds 5 the %o
Immediately under the dome, is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British IN 1slf, but was comDletcly restored
remains of Washington were Intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery of
Statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
the Supreme Courtroom. The old Supreme
Courtroom, In the first story, Is now occu-
pied by the Law Branch of the Library.
The cornerstone Of tho Capitol extension
ISL, pane V weSster sS tho no oratoa
Of the occasion from the balcony of the
House Of Representatives, and tho north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda is dis.
tiDguished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their has
reliefs, and for Brumidfs frescoings. In the
Potomac marble, representing faces of cer-
freak Of nature. From the little rotunda,
immediately north of the great rotunda the
winding way. From the top Of the dome, or
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
Of the surrounding, country is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds; which formerly were
been transformed into a beautiful
park and are now most exquisitely beauti.
full. The east base of the Capitol Is s0I1
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
The total height from east base to the top
OF the temple covering the dome Is aSS feet;
the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty, l9ll
feet, making the total height to the crest OF
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 397 feet above low tide in tho Poto mac,
or 24S feet lower than the apex OF the Wash,
wsst fRe Saldns TsS 81 feet Il ons by ~
wide, and covers 3S acres. II is the finest
and largest public building in tho world,
and In many respects the costliest and
less than century-a fact which adds tc
Its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
tol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not a slavish one, of the Maison
portico ut night, when the lamps are lit In
the public grounds and the lights Of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque In the world and
Is we'll worth journey of thousand miles
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the CAPITOL looking
down PENNSYLVANIA avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing Its snowy-hued walls
above the dense mass OF foliage that en-
bowers Il, like gigantic calla lily springlng
up amid It's eniolding green blades. Were
building tho view Of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete The
White House Is the center of Uptown" as
the Capitol is the center Of Down town.
1t Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front of the city, as the view from the north
up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section to the gaze
The White House is a copy Of the palace OF
the Duke of Leinstcr at Dublin, with the
addition of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
II stands embraces nearly 81 acres The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the pennsylvania avenue cars, IL Is two
stories high on the north, is built of white
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and the great conseryatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep'
tlonroom and the drawing-room of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1857, and In the latter part of the
century nsed, as dryng-room for clothe;
by Mrs. President Adams, is the largest and
most noted room in the building. 1t Is 2
feet high, 50 feet long and 90 wide. i i
Upstairs arc the Cabinet room, the private
offices, the Presidents office, the library
and the family apartments. All these
rooms except the latter are open to visitors
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette Square.
Due north from the White House Is Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation In Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains the
equestrian statue OF Andrew Jackson by
Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old forest
part specimen OF the old formal Landscape
gardening so fashionable In England two
hundred years ago, a style, that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
yard that enclosed the square north, or
which st. Johns Church Is bullt, and the
square east, on which are situated the At
torney Generals Office formerly the Freed
mans Bank), the Surgeon-General's office
and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
Commodore Deoatur's house, corner FIJI
old Club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel L. sickles, Mem
ber OF Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard were not re
moved until 1919
st. Johu's II. Il. Church.
st, Johns p. f. Church, which has been Otter
called the State Church because more Presi
dents have worshipped there. than at any
other, stands at the corner of II and six
larged in 1880. In IL have worshipped Pres
idents Madison, Monroe, John Quincy
Adams (though the latter was Congrega
longed TO the Dutch Reformed Church, llar
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore tthougl
the latter was u Unitarian, Pierce, Buch
anaa and Arthur, Presidents Lincoln
johnson and Grant have also attended Dl
vine services here although not steadily IL
interior reminds one very forclbly of the
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
The Treasury Department..
| The Treasury Department is east OF the Whit,
House and extends the whole length of tn,
front between Pennsylvania and New Yorh
avenues, II Is 5Ss feet long by 800 feet wide
The central east portion Is built OF freestone
rebuilt In 1904, while the othcrparts wer,
commenced in 1855 and built of granite
The Cash Room In this building Is beau
tiful apartment In the north wing, the en-
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